Making Entrepreneurship work in India

I had the opportunity to watch two peripherally relevant talks/discussions yesterday that fuelled  in my mind a few thoughts and opinions about how Entrepreneurship is going to help the Indian economy. The first of course was the Techsparks 2011, Chennai round. The second was Barack Obama's weekly address to the American people.

Techsparks is a platform for Start up's to showcase their company, network with other such start ups, impress investors and end up getting some seed for their companies. It works like any other event of its kind. It has 5 different rounds in different regions and it was the Chennai round yesterday. There were around 25-30 Start up's who were attending the function and there was a panel discussion by people who have 'been there done that' before. There was also a Venture Capitalist in the panel which made it a very ensemble panel comprising of a VC, two experienced entrepreneurs, and two big companies which support ventures (IBM and National Instruments).It formed a complete ecosystem. As the event went on, we had a person from Intel Software talking to us,  the founder of Bharat Matrimony addressing us, and the founder of Classle telling us his story.

A majority of the panelists, and the guests had their ventures surrounding the Information Technology Sector. I also had a shrewd belief that the majority of the entrepreneurs sitting around me were from the same IT sector. Its only understandable, that as a Mechanical Engineer, I had only so much to take out of their knowledge sharing. On the rare occasion when they used the word "Industrial Start up" or "Tech Start up", I sat up with my ears eagerly open for something relevant to the Industry I know of, but they started talking about building platforms and enabling cloud computing and improving security and data back up services and setting up servers. I was doomed to blink all the while at their faces.

I couldn't help but realise that India is obsessed with Information Technology. Remember, I'm no IT critic. In fact, it is essential that India plays to its strength's and one of India's few strengths today is its strong IT/ITES sector. A lot of our problems in our services and commerce sectors can be solved extensively through IT. Economically, the IT sector has a vast growth potential. But there is only so far that IT can get in building our economy. Ironical ? I'll explain.

The Information Technology Sector in India is huuge. More than 70% of Indian entrepreneurs start up in some IT related venture. Half our engineers are employed in the IT industry. But the contribution of the IT sector is a mere 5.2% of the Indian economy. The few big IT corporations have ruled the roost and the majority of other start ups have never made it big, though they continue to be profitable for their founders.

Nearly 50% of the Indian GDP comes from the core Manufacturing Industries and the Agricultural sector. And somehow, in all the hype surrounding India's good entrepreneurship record, these sectors have taken a hit. India is a country where the food security of the billion odd people is critical (Its a different matter that everyone doesn't get food in our country). Under such circumstances, it is a very sad fact that the agricultural output of our nation is gradually decreasing. Common sense suggests that increasing population and decreasing food production do not get along well with each other.

Manufacturing Industries present the other sorry picture. True, Manufacturing in India never really took off. The Industrial Revolution happened in the 16th century in Europe. 400  years later, we still are waiting for an Industrial Revolution in India. The few big Industries set up by first generation Industrialists of the 20th Century continue to be some of the few ones in the country. We use machines and machine tools made by other countries, to manufacture goods on license from other nations to sell the goods to our people. Now how uncool is that ?

This brings me to Barack Obama's weekly address to the American people. In his speech he underlines the importance of "being the nation which makes things", of being a nation that has advanced manufacturing facilities which it can sell to other nations and grow their economy. Now these are words coming from the most technologically advanced nation in the World, the largest Economy of the World, and from the country home to the largest number of Industries in the World. Now if this is the priority of the World's largest GDP contributor, we are after all India and far behind them. We should be working doubly hard to ensure that our countrymen work towards building a strong Industrial base in the country.

The Information Technology Sector has only one way - the Way Up. With a bright generation of IT engineers, this sector is bound to become India's pet. Having said that, this cannot and must not happen at the expense of Agriculture and Industry. There must be far greater support to entrepreneurs across all sectors, but more specifically to Industrial and Agriculture sectors. That is the only way that our economy can grow and also improve our standards of living. In effect, it is the only way our nation can prosper.


Link: The Weekly Address by Barack Obama.

(Ignore the Comments. Obama, much like our own government, is suffering from a wave of mistrust and unpopularity)

The Creator of Existence

When was Existence born
When did Being begin
When was Life's song sung
And who did Sing


Was there air Was there water
Were there the skies 
Before all existed
What of did the Universe comprise


What was before nothingness
A Universe of anything Devoid
Who pulled the first thing
That came out of Void

Where was thought
Was there a mind
That looked for the Questions
And the Answers did it find


Who was the conjurer
What was his essence
Who possessed the Sacred Wisdom
Of the Creation of Existence


There is One Being
Up Above the Heavens
The One who Created
The Gods and the Demons


He knows the answer
The Light through Life's Mist
For He is our creator
But man, Does He Exist ?

- Inspired from Nasadiya Sooktam


Stephen Hawkings said early this year, 'Heaven is a fairytale.' Rig Veda said that in 1000 BC, 3000 years ago.

The Nasadiya Sooktam is a Vedic Hymn from the Rig Veda that aims to answer the questions surrounding creation. It is the Vedic equivalent of the Big Bang Theory (Not the sitcom series, the actual one :D) proposed before 1000 BC.

The beauty of the hymn, and of the ancient Hindu scripts, the Vedas, is that, it accepts that there may never have been a beginning, and there may never be an end. The hymn is also significant because it admits that it is impossible to go to the roots of creation. It believes that Heaven may exist, but maybe does not. God may exist, but maybe does not. This, people, is the actual essence of Hinduism. (Not the Ayodhya Ram Temple)

Reference:
http://www.astrojyoti.com/nasadiyasuktam.htm The link to the best written translation of the Nasadiya Sooktam I could find.

The Wikipedia collection of articles on Hindu Creation Theories is also an interesting read to anyone who is interested.

The Laws of Bangalore Buses

For the past few days I have been patronising the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) for my daily travelling in Bangalore. During one of those looong journeys in the rather unhospitable Bangalore Traffic, my eyes were straining themselves to catch a glimpse of those elusive 'semma figures' that Bangalore bound acquaintances always keep speaking of, when suddenly, a bag of apples flew from nowhere and fell on my head. I had my Newton-moment then and my mind was almost instantly filled with the great questions revolving around the dynamics of the Bangalore Bus journeys. When does a bus actually arrive ? Which buses have all the good figures? Which is the best bus ? and the like.

Having spent several sleepless nights analysing all the experiences and experiments I had with Bangalore Buses, I was finally able to logically arrive at a series of postulates that govern the Mechanics, kinetics, kinematics, dynamics, etc of Bangalore Bus Travel. Presenting, the Laws of Bangalore Buses !


First Law: 


There is always an extended time lag between the time a bus user reaches a bus stop and the time that the desired bus arrives at the bus stop.


(or)


When Bus is early, you are late and When Bus is late, you are early.




It is never possible to reach a bus stop just in time for a bus. The first law of Bangalore Bus Travel states that you will always have to wait at the bus stop - whether you are early or even if you are late.

This is because Bangalore buses have no timing. They can come at any time, except when you just reached the bus stop. The rare bus which arrives near the bus stop, deliberately doesn't stop at the bus stop, just so you cant get into it.

We have also researched on the methods to tackle the effect of the First Law of Bus Travel. To ensure that you get a bus as soon as you reach the bus stop, what you can possibly do is stand near the bus stop, rather than at the bus stop. Stand anywhere closeby, some tea shop, some pan shop, but surely not at the bus stop itself. To increase the chances, you could also try to act as if you aren't really looking at the buses coming, but keep peeping through the corner of your eye. This way, you will be saved from the boring experience of having to wait for the bus.

Alternatively, go to the bus stop and ask someone for the bus route to a location different from where you want to go. And then act as if you actually want to go to that place. You will see a bus coming really fast. TADA ! Thats the bus to the place you actually wanted to go to.

Corollary: From the above observed facts, a corollary of the above law is :

The only bus which is always late, is the one you want to travel urgently in. The only bus which is always early is the one you desperately hope you don't miss.




Second Law:


The outflow of liquidity is a direct product of two factors - an impending scarcity of funds and the close proximity of the destination. 


(or)


An AC bus always arrives just when you don't have enough cash to travel in it or when you have to get down at the closest bus stop.




This Law is a direct application of the universal law of "Shit Happens". Yes, just when you dont have enough cash for lunch and have to get somewhere for lunch, an ordinary bus will never come your way. You will only have an AC bus to take you there. On a different occasion, if you want to go to the immediately next stop, but the distance is too far to walk on foot, you will never get a normal bus. The bus is always a costly Volvo bus.

The simple and only way to tackle the second law is by carrying a sufficient amount of cash in hand. This will directly increase liquidity causing more non-AC buses to come by.


Third Law:


The aesthetic appeal of eves of the Homo Sapien species is a quantity directly proportional to the aesthetic appeal of the civilian mode of transport they frequent in. 


(or)


Quality of figure is proportional to quality of bus.





This is simplest of the three laws of Bangalore buses. You cannot expect to come across a semma figure in a sappa bus. So if you are a guy, actually going around Bangalore for all the obvious reasons, it would be advisable to travel in the better looking buses 'cos thats where the prospects of 'sighting' are better off.

Having said that, the converse of this law is not true. Quality of buses is not always directly proportional to quality of figures as sappa figures may travel in semma buses. So beware of this rider! (Rider, as in, a puzzle, a trap. Not what you think. Shit! Dirty minds)

There are a few empirical ways to ensure that you take a bus with the maximum probability of a figure:

• Avoid buses that look old. 
• Avoid buses that have high footboards (Modern buses have a low footboard. Figures use those buses only)
• Avoid buses which have a black exhaust (Yes, pollution conscious semma figures travel only in "Bharat Stage I" certified vehicles)
• Travel preferably in Tata or Volvo buses and avoid Ashok Leyland. 
• It would be an added favourable factor if the bus had some fancy colour like green or red. (Sadly, there aren't violet and pink coloured buses yet)

If you still aren't sure which bus you must take, wait at the bus stop for sometime and try looking for a figure.Fix your eyes on the figure and observe which bus she takes. Taking the same bus is a good call. (This method is useless if you want to get somewhere else from where the bus is going)


THE IDEAL BUS JOURNEY:


Based on these above laws, we can define the ideal bus journey as follows:


The Ideal bus journey is defined as one, where you reach a bus stop and a pink coloured hi-tech looking, zero pollution Marco Polo bus stops immediately in front of your eyes, and you get inside and when you ask how much it costs, a girl from behind you tells you that its free upto the next stop and when you turn back to look at her, she turns out to be Deepika Padukone.  


P.S: Ideal conditions are impossible to achieve.

P.P.S : To all feminists, the third law was not my idea.

Contributing Credits: Third Law - F.Mohammed Irfaan

Glossary: 

Semma figure - girls worth seeing
Sappa figure - girls not worth seeing

Agnostic Devotion

"Oh Ganesha. Why so much trouble for me? I've been coming here for two weeks now and these people don't seem to be in any hurry at all!"

"Ah! So you finally asked. I was waiting for you to!"

"Waiting? Why?"

"Others are usually quicker in coming to me. Your own mother and sister would serve as ideal examples."

"Well, they trust you are more powerful than the man behind that table who will sign the paper finally! I don't."

"Well, why don't you Rohit?"

"Cos I know you wont be signing the paper for me. You wont be giving me the Police Clearance Certificate.It will be him who does that. I am practical, others at my house are not."

"Ask your mom or sister, they'll tell you I can do everything."

"Yes, they tell me even when I dont ask."

"So then what keeps you from listening?"

"Have you ever helped things work out for me?"

"Have you ever tried seeking my help?"

"Well... you talk too much. Fine then, I do. Get this done for me today!"

"Ah.. You and your Agnostic Devotion!! This is not the way you must deal with things..."

"So what? You wont do it now?"

"I will! But..."

"But what?"

"But for a price."

"Whats the price?"

"Pathinoru Thenga"

"Eleven coconuts ?!?! Wtf ?! Even if its 15 for one, its 165 totally."

"Oh so you can do maths can you ?"

"I can. And I also know that if I pay 100 rupees to that man behind the table there, he can get it done for me. He is cheaper than you are and he can also get it done for me. Guarantee."

"You think he can do it better than me?"

"Yes I do. And moreover, his existence is not disputed."

"Well, he can only do what is his job. That clearance you need needs some 10 different people to do things. Not all are in his hands."

"He must have his methods to do stuff. He is doing this day-in day-out."

"Well even after all these people, the Commissioner needs to approve your clearance. This man cannot affect the Commissioner, can he?"

"Maybe not, but the commissioner wont delay stuff."

"What if the Commissioner suddenly has more important work to tend to? What if the Commissioner has visitors all day?"

"Well thats unlikely."

"Unlikely? Oh fine then, you bribe that man and get your job done."

*****
(2 days later)

"Sir, My Police Clearance Certificate?"

"Yes pa, I finished everything necessary and left it in the Commissioner's office the same day. But then it hasn't been processed since then."

"Why sir ? Two days, shouldn't it have been signed by now?"

"Well, The commissioner's been having an unusually large number of visitors."


"Er... You cant do anything about it, Sir?"

"No pa, I cant. That is certainly not in my hands. When did you say you need this certificate by?"

"Today, Sir."

"Well then pray to Lord Ganesha. Only he can help you."

"Lord Ganesha?!"

'Ha...ha...haa!!"